This Recent Social Media Stunt Serves As A Great Reminder Not To Believe Everything You See On The Internet

Fake news is a real thing. So are diet fads. Recently these two concepts came together in a surprising and instructive way – bottled hot dog water.

Earlier this month, unfiltered “hot dog water” was offered for sale at a festival in Vancouver, British Columbia. This beverage du jour was touted as supporting weight loss, increasing brain function, and providing a more youthful appearance. The drink was also advertised as being gluten-free and rich in sodium and electrolytes. At $38 per bottle, people ate, er, drank it up.

What’s sad is that folks missed the point. The product was being offered as a stunt – to convey a message about all of the misleading health marketing and news out there.

Self-styled Hot Dog Water CEO Douglas Bevans reported to Global News that the water was created by “a lot of people with backgrounds in science.”

“Hot Dog Water is the NEW coconut water!” read one spoofed testimonial from a Dr. Cynthia Dringus, “Nobel Prize-winning nutritionist.”

Of course, this was all tongue-in-cheek, but some people took the bait.

Bevans’ stall sold bottles of the water for $37.99 (or two-for-$75 for Father’s Day!), according to Global News. The booth also had accessory items like hot dog water lip balm, breath spray, and body fragrance for sale.

This booth that sells unfiltered hot dog water is hands down the strangest thing at Car-Free day, and I have no idea – literally none – as to whether it is real or an elaborate stunt pic.twitter.com/NK2KcTfnHm